Proteins adsorbed from the blood plasma change nanoparticles inter-
actions with the surrounding biological environment. In general, the ad-
sorption of multiple proteins has a non-monotonic time dependence, that
is, proteins adsorbed at first may slowly be replaced by others. This “Vro-
man effect” leads to a highly dynamic protein corona on nanoparticles
that profoundly influences the immune response of the body. Thus, the
temporal evolution of the corona must be taken into account when consid-
ering applications of nanocarriers in, e.g., nanomedicine or drug delivery.
Up to now, the Vroman effect is explained solely in terms of diffusion:
Smaller proteins which diffuse faster are adsorbed first while larger ones,
having a stronger interaction with the surface, are preferred at equilib-
rium. Here we use dynamic density functional theory (DDFT) including
steric and electrostatic interactions to provide a full model for the tem-
poral evolution of the protein corona. In particular, we demonstrate that
proper consideration of all interactions leads to Vroman-like adsorption
signatures in widely different scenarios. Moreover, consideration of ener-
getic terms predicts both competitive as well as co-operative adsorption.
In this way, DDFT provides a reacher picture of the evolution of the
dynamic protein corona